Daisy Ridley joins James Corden in Peter Rabbit movie

Daisey Ridley will voice a character in the new 'Peter Rabbit' movie with James Corden taking on the lead role

Daisy Ridley has joined the cast of 'Peter Rabbit' alongside James Corden.

The 24-year-old actress - famous for playing Rey in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' - is to provide a voice for one of the characters in the live action CGI animation crossover in Sony's Columbia Pictures upcoming movie based on Beatrix Potter's classic children's books.

It is not yet known which character Ridley will portray, but Corden has been confirmed as the voice of the titular bunny.

Other confirmed cast members are Rose Byrne, who will voice a character named Bea, and The Night Manager's Elizabeth Debicki.

Production is due to start in January with the cast heading to Sydney, Australia, to make the movie with American director Will Gluck.

The project is being produced by Animal Logic, who are also responsible for 'The Lego Batman Movie' and 'The Lego Ninjago Movie'.

Zareh Nalbandian, chief executive of Animal Logic, is tipping 'Peter Rabbit' to become a favourite of kids and adults all over the world.

He said: "There are so many great characters in Beatrix Potter's books that we'll just be scratching the surface for what we can do. It's a big film that will be more than a two-year endeavour for us from go to whoa."

The film will centre on the traditional feud between Peter and the McGregor family as the hungry bunny raids the farmers' vegetable garden.

Tom Weldon, CEO of Penguin Random House UK, said: "We at Penguin Random House UK are delighted to be working with Columbia Pictures. As custodians of Beatrix Potter's brand and legacy, we are excited about the opportunity this production will bring to engage a whole new audience with the world of Beatrix Potter and one of her best-loved characters, the mischievous Peter Rabbit."

Potter's 'Peter Rabbit' books became an instant hit when they were picked up in 1902 by British children's publisher Frederick Warne & Co and have gone to sell more than 150 million copies in 35 languages worldwide.

The film is scheduled for release in April 2018 and coincides with the 150th anniversary of the birth of author-and-illustrator Potter - who died in 1943 at the age of 77.